Paula Deen's Fruitcake Drop Cookies

These are bite sized fruitcakes.  I changed the fruit inside from what Paula suggested to use what I had and I was really pleased with the results.  Don't make these if you don't like fruitcake because they end up being really expensive to make. 

1 1/2 cup sugar
1 stick butter
4 eggs
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp cinnamon
3 cups flour
16 oz fancy fruitcake mix
4 oz chopped dried apricots
2 oz golden raisins
2 oz currants
16oz chopped pecans

 Oven to 300

Cream butter and sugar
Add eggs (one at a time), salt, vanilla and cinnamon
Slowly add flour
Add nuts and fruit
Bake 25 minutes

Paula Deen's Chocolate Cheese Fudge

It's hard to believe that fudge can be made out of Velveeta but evidently it can.  The end results look, smell and taste like fudge.  That and the kitsch value of the star ingredient make this recipe a real winner.

8 oz Velveeta "cheese"
2 sticks butter
1 6 oz bag slivered almonds
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 tbs liquor (I used frangelico)
2 16oz boxes powdered sugar
1/2 cup cocoa powder

Toast the almonds.  Be careful not to burn them.  I put them in a 350 degree oven and keep checking them til they're done.

Combine the sugar and the cocoa.  You should probably sift them together but that just takes forever and makes a bit of a mess so I just whisked them together in the mixing bowl.

Melt the cheese and the butter.  Use a whisk to combine it and get it pretty smooth. Add the vanilla and the liquor.  It'll foam a bit as the alcohol boils out.  

Pour the cheese mixture and stir vigorously until it comes together.  I used an electric mixer.

Pat the fudge into a greased, lined 9" square pan.

Let it cool and set.  Paula has a step where you blot off fat that's risen to the top.  I didn't experience that and think it was a combination of all the whisking I did with the cheese and the butter and the cooler climate in Northern California.  Bon Appetit!